Sein bonnin



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. MARQUIS DE FRAYSSEIN BONNIN.

OPTICAL SIGHT.

Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

lit (afar:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- MARQUIS DE FRAYSSEIN BONNIN, OF TOULON,FRANCE.

OPTICAL SIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,230, dated April30, 1895. Application filed July 13,1891. Serial No. 399,429. (Nomodel.) Patented in France July 19, 1890, No. 207,026.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAR UIS on FRAYS- SEIN BONNIN, a citizen of France,residing at Tonlon, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Optical Sights, (for which I have obtained a patent inFrance, No. 207,026, bearing date July 19, 1890,) of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to optical sights, such as are designed to be usedin connection with cannons or guns or any other kind of firearms. It isillustrated in the accompanying drawin gs, wherein Figure 1 is a crosssection through a turret or the like, in which a cannon is shown asmounted. Many of the parts are omitted for the greater clearness ofthose which it is desired to describe. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail viewof the sight.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in both figures.

A is a converging lens; 13, a plate placed behind the lens to receivethe image of the object upon which is indicated the point P, called thepoint of firing. The small straight rule 0, D, called the firing rule,supports the lensA and the plate B by means of the grooved sockets E F.This rule is permanently parallel to the optical axis 0. P. A secondstraight rule L H, called the pointing rule, is pivoted upon the firstrule and supported on the main carriage by a laterally projectingsupport S. This rule is permanently parallel to the axis of the firearm.The graduated arm I K, measures the angle between the two rules andhence the firing angle. The set screw J, is employed whereby to clampthe pointing rule and the graduated arm together in a fixed position ata given angle. At the other end of the pointing rule is the arc shapedslot L.

M is a button on the end of the arm projecting from the socket E, andthis button projects into the slot L. The pointing rule is pivoted tothe firing rule at G and by means of a set screw the socket F may besecured to any point along the firing rule.

I is a gun having the slide ways W" W upon which it moves, the wholebeing mounted upon the pivot VW and inclosed within the turret or backof the protecting plate W in any desired manner.

This instrument maybe applied to any gun at any point and attachedthereto directly or indirectly or upon any part associated with the gunwhich partakes of the movement of the gun. The protection in front ofthe gun is pierced by the small hole T independent of the opening of theport hole for the firearm and opposite the sight.

It will be readily seen that the device as here shown is capable ofgreat modifications Without departing from the spirit of my inventionand I do not wish to be limited to the construction, detail or relationsindicated. I make the lens and plate of diiferent sizes and shapes, andthe sockets I so construct that by removing the connecting pin, theplates and lenses may be removed and others substituted at will. Theimages received upon the plate may be received at any other point orposition according as occasion requires, in many ways well knowntot-hose familiar with such instruments. The plate may be transparent oropaque so that the image may be observed from behind or in front of thesight.

To protect the instrument I use the usual springs and cushions which arenot here shown and which are often unnecessary.

I have shown the device so constructed that varying the angle betweenthe firing and pointing rules moves the lens, but of course the plateitself could be moved, and portions of the instrument in that eventwould be turned around to a new position.

The scale on the graduated arm will vary, of course, according to therelation of the other parts and it need'not be in the precise relationshown. The important point, of course, is the relation of the angle ofthe two rules to the distance between the plate and lens. Any change inform of the graduated arm would of course necessitate a change of formof the cam and pointing rule and firing rule or the lens and plate.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: When the distanceof the object is known or estimated the operator will move the pointingarm or rule along the graduated arm until it reaches the point on thescale corresponding to such distance. The gun is then brought to a pointwhere the image projected by the lens is projected upon the plate at thefiring point,-whereupon it will be found that the gun is at the rightelevation or inclination and properly directed toward the object.

One of the most important results of the employment of the opticalsight, is the possibility of completely closing the artillery opening,especially on board of vessels. Marine towers containing cannons oflarge caliber, can in like manner, by use of the optical sight, becompletely and almost hermetically closed, while at the same timepermitting the operator to obtain a greater precision in firing. It isalso possible to close, by the employment of this device, the port holesof batteries, or to reduce them to dimensions absolutely necessary forthe discharge or for the muzzle of the cannon, or to cover them bymasks, retaining sufficient width of the port hole or the like, topermit the pointing of the gun in any direction or altitude. Fire armsalready provided with masks or protections for the gunners could alsoeasily receive the optical sight.

I claim An optical sight comprising a lens with an image plate behindthe same to receive the image of the object at which the gun isdirected, a firing rule upon which the lens and plate are supported, apointing rule pivoted to said firing rule, a graduated arm along whichsaid pointing rule is moved to give the muzzle of the gun difierentelevations corresponding to different distances of the object to befired at, and acam on said pointing rule by which the lens is moved soas to regulate its focal distance. 7 g

Intestimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscrib ing witnesses.

MARQUIS DE FRAYSSEIN RON-SIN. lVitnesses:

M. LINES, Vgociant, 48 ans Nationale, Toulon.

L. J. B. V. JoUVE, U. S. Consular Agent at Toulon.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 538

It is hereby certified that the name of the patentee in Letters PatentNo. 538,230, granted April 30, 1895, for an improvement in OpticalSights, Was erroneously Written and printed Marquis de Frayssein Bonnin,Whereas said name should have been Written and printed fllarquts deFmysseta: Bonm'n; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase in the Patent Oflice.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 25th day of June, A. D. 1895.

JNO. M. REYNOLDS, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

[snAn] Gountersigned JOHN S. SEYMOUR,

Commissioner 0 f Patents.

